With the furlough scheme set to end this September, businesses nationwide are planning how to manage the transition back into the workplace and considering how to communicate with colleagues in a new hybrid working world. Whether you’re a business owner, a manager or an internal communications lead, engaging and motivating your team through times of change is paramount. Follow our tips to support your employees to adapt, settle and thrive as they return to work post-furlough.

Stand in their shoes

Try to see the situation from your colleagues’ perspective. Importantly, don’t automatically expect everyone to be responsive and resilient to significant change.  

How are they feeling about returning to work after being furloughed for so long? Are they anxious? Have they lost the confidence to attend face-to-face meetings or talk to customers? Do they feel stressed at the idea of public transport or a long commute by car? 

A survey by recruitment firm Randstad revealed 45% of furloughed workers feel anxious about returning to work. 

After all, transitioning back into the workplace represents a new way of life for them now. Furlough opened up a different, more relaxed lifestyle - quality family time, more exercise and fresh air, the chance to explore new hobbies, less stress and zero commute. 

Don’t presume you can all pick up where you left off. Furloughed employees are likely to have re-evaluated their lives and may want something different from work. After all, some people’s lives may have changed dramatically during furlough – perhaps they’ve lost a loved one, had a baby or become parents by fostering or adopting. If that’s the case, their priorities will have altered, and they won’t be the same person who left the office.  

Equally, if they’re returning to a frontline job, they may have health concerns you must take seriously. 

Talk- and listen

Hopefully, you’ve stayed connected virtually to your furloughed colleagues through this extended period of working from home, facilitating smooth relations and strong links to the workplace. We’ve all relied on technology to keep in touch with coworkers, friends and loved ones, and we’ve shared plenty of tips on maintaining team spirit in a remote working world in previous blogs. 

Talking and listening look different for every business, so explore the right fit for your organisation. Surveys are an excellent way for larger companies to take a litmus test of the employee mood, while phone calls and video meetings are a great place to start in smaller businesses.  

Ask how your employees are feeling about coming back, and make sure they’re not just telling you what you want to hear. Create a safe environment for honest sharing and reassure them you’re there to help them ease the transition.  

Time away from work will have invariably given your teams time to think about what they want out of their personal and professional lives.  

They might love the flexibility to pursue other interests and be keen to establish more of a hybrid career. They may prefer a phased return to ease themselves back in, or they may simply be desperate to get back to their desk and resume a 9-5 lifestyle. You won’t know where they’re at unless you talk - and really listen. 

Ask questions like: what do you need from me? How can I make this easier? What can I do to help you be more productive? The answers may surprise you and will certainly help you shape a more successful team dynamic. 

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs says unmet needs are often the reason for challenging behaviours. When our basic needs are met, we can satisfy higher needs, ultimately culminating in self-fulfilment. Therefore, consider if you’re meeting your employees’ basic and psychological needs to help them reach their full potential. 

Communication

Communicate to your employees in ways they want to be communicated with. Depending on the size of your organisation, that might be mass email, WhatsApp groups, video chats or recorded messages distributed to all. Provide regular updates about what to expect and what you’re doing to prepare for their return, as well as asking for their ideas. 

Once you’re all back in the workplace, organise daily catchups with your teams to make sure they have your attention. It won’t be the same as it was pre-furlough, and if you’ve been back longer (or throughout the pandemic), they won’t be in the same place as you are mentally, so consider how they’re feeling at every stage. 

Give employees even more attention than you would’ve done before. Take that time to talk to them, show an interest in their furlough life, ask for their thoughts and ideas about work. It could be a brilliant time to crowdsource ideas about what they can see has changed and how you can move your business forward together.  

Crucially, set aside time and resources to re-induct your teams. Approach it like onboarding a new employee, reminding them of your business’s purpose, vision, strategy, objectives and targets. Let them know what you expect of them – and don’t assume they remember all of this after being away from the office for so long. 

Celebration and thanks

After being apart for so long, it’s a great time to celebrate coming back together as a team. Make a fuss of returning colleagues and show how delighted you are to have them back and to see them. 

After all, your employees make your business what it is, so let them know how much you value them through social gatherings, handwritten notes, or whatever works best for your team.  

Making the return from furlough feel special will boost motivation and self-confidence in your employees and set them up for success. 

Evaluation and reflection

Constant evaluation and reflection will ensure your colleagues adjust to the changes and your business continues to run smoothly.  

Daily catchup calls are a great way to kick things off once everyone’s back at their desk, and group or one-to-one reviews of the first week back will stimulate conversations around what’s going well and where improvements can be made. 

The key objective is to help your team regain their confidence. So, give positive feedback, recognise individuals’ strengths and show them how valued they are as part of the team. 

Throughout the first month, keep in mind it’s still early days and continue to review and re-evaluate your communications as necessary until you’re into the groove of a new way of working. 

Access expert support to ease the return to the office

Ahead of furlough coming to an end, you may feel you need extra guidance easing your colleagues back into the workplace. 

To speak to our award-winning employee engagement experts about how we can support you and your colleagues through seamless transitions that complement your business goals, call 07812 343310 or email hello@enthuse-comms.co.uk